A method of playing back an optical disk including an image data area in which digital image data is recorded, said digital image data comprising a sequence composed of an image information block, said image information block comprising I-picture data for intra-frame coded pictures, P-picture data for predictive coded pictures, and B-picture data for bidirectionally predictive coded pictures, said optical disk including table information being stored in an image information table area different from said image data area, said table information including position information indicating a start of said sequence,
- said disk having a plurality of sectors each having a specific address, where said sequence of digital image data is stored in one or more of said plurality of sectors,
- said position information in the information table including information for accessing a start point of a sequence responsive to selection by user from among menu items being displayed for selection,
- wherein said menu items are presented by compressed coded pictures contained in said image information block and said information table includes information for accessing a start point of the image information block containing said compressed coded pictures,
- wherein said start point of the image information block corresponds to a start point of said sector,
- said method comprising;
- accessing the table information to extract the position information of the sequence containing said compressed coded pictures;
- decoding said compressed coded pictures based on the position information of the sequence;
- and
- forming a menu items using the decoded pictures.